Possible Bowl Season Destinations for Virginia Football

By Jerry Ratcliffe

So you may be wondering what’s in store for Virginia football if the Cavaliers win out, defeating nonconference Liberty, and state rival Virginia Tech, ending a 15-year losing streak to the Hokies.

If that happens, then Bronco Mendenhall will have brought UVA from worst to first in an amazing four-year span. First, in this case, means champions of the ACC’s Coastal Division, which would be Virginia’s first since the conference went to divisional play in 2005.

What that means is that the Cavaliers would most suredly face Clemson in the ACC Championship game in Charlotte in early December.

Then what?

How does a trip to the Orange Bowl sound?

That’s right. If the Cavaliers win the Coastal, they could be in line for the program’s first-ever visit to the Orange Bowl.

Of course, Clemson would have to be invited to the College Football Playoff, and the Tigers are presently ranked third in the CFP’s latest rankings released Tuesday night. It would definitely be an upset if Clemson doesn’t win out, although the Tigers do have to play Wake Forest and nonconference South Carolina in the season finale.

Because of a contractual arrangement with the Orange Bowl, if the ACC champion is not available due to the CFP, the Orange Bowl must take the league’s second-highest ranked team in the CFP poll. As of Tuesday night, Clemson is the only ACC team ranked in the CFP’s Top 25.

However, should Virginia win out over Liberty and Virginia Tech, the Cavaliers would most likely be ranked at 9-3, closing the season with four straight wins.

If UVA wins out and still isn’t ranked by the CFP, then the ACC and Orange Bowl would get together and decide what to do.

As far as Notre Dame goes, the Irish cannot take the ACC’s spot in the Orange Bowl, but could face an ACC opponent in the game. That could bring up another conflict though, because UVA has already faced Notre Dame in the regular season as has Virginia Tech. That could possibly open the door for either the Hokies, Miami or Wake Forest.

Virginia Tech’s problem is that because it played two FCS teams this season (Furman and Rhode Island), the Hokies only get to count one of those wins toward qualifying for a bowl. While Tech is 6-3 heading into this weekend’s game at Georgia Tech, in the eyes of the bowls the Hokies are only 5-3 and must win seven games in order to qualify. They still face Georgia Tech, Pitt, and UVA.

If Virginia wins out and doesn’t get selected for the Orange Bowl, then there is a strong feeling that the Cavaliers could end up in the Camping World Bowl in Orlando vs. a Big 12 opponent.

And, no, the Peach Bowl is not available as it is hosting one of the CFP semifinal games.